Clippers @ Thunder

Who will WIN this matchup?

Los Angeles Clippers (17-11)

@ Oklahoma City Thunder (17-10)

Current odds:

Los Angeles Clippers: (+220)

Oklahoma City Thunder: (-260)

• The line for this game is Thunder by 6.5 points.

• The Oklahoma City Thunder lost just three times during a 19-game stretch but suddenly find themselves in a funk. The Thunder have dropped three of their last four games entering Saturday’s contest against the Los Angeles Clippers, who also are struggling after a strong start. Paul George continued his stellar play with 32 points, but the Thunder shot just 41.1 percent while falling 109-98 to Denver on Friday. George has topped 30 points seven times this season, including three times in the last five games – a stretch that includes a season-best 47-point effort against Brooklyn on Dec. 5.

• The Clippers have lost five of their last seven games and their 125-87 setback against San Antonio on Thursday marked their third by more than 20 points in a four-game span. “It’s a long season and you’ll never see me overreact,” Los Angeles coach Doc Rivers told reporters. “You just won’t. I’ve been in this too long.”

• Los Angeles also has lost to Toronto by 24 points and Miami by 23 over the last week, and Patrick Beverley doesn’t like what he is seeing. “You play long enough, the game teaches itself, and it told us, as a unit, we can’t ease into games,” the point guard told reporters of the porous stretch. “That’s what we’re trying to do lately, and we can’t do that. We’re not that good, not right now. But we can be.” Leading scorer Tobias Harris (20.9 points) is just 9-for-24 over his last two games while averaging 13.5 points.

• Oklahoma City scored 32 points in the first quarter against Denver and then was suspect the rest of the night. “We had a lot of missed opportunities around the basket,” coach Billy Donovan said during his postgame press conference. “We had some good looks, but we didn’t shoot particularly well. I think the free throws and missed opportunities around the front of the rim, I think those are things that we can correct and get better at.” Russell Westbrook was just 5-of-15 shooting while being held to 13 points, and his frustration became evident when he got into a late-game shoving match with Jamal Murray and shouted at Nikola Jokic.

• The teams split two meetings earlier this season, with the Thunder winning by 18 points on their home court and the Clippers prevailing by 16 in Los Angeles.

• Oklahoma City C Steven Adams matched his season high of 26 points against the Nuggets and has scored 20 or more in four straight games and five of the last six.

• Los Angeles rookie PG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is 17-of-26 shooting over his last three contests.